Infamous crimes in the Houston area

July 28, 2014 |Compiled by Andy Warren

Today, it’s a small gated community subdivided into 13 million-dollar-plus houses. But in the 1980s, this property on Todville Road was where William Gerald “Bill” List built his mansion. And it’s the site of sexual abuse and murder.

One night in October 1984, four young men staying in the mansion shot the 57-year-old businessman with his own gun. List had a record of sexually molesting teenage boys.

Elbert Ervin "Smiley" Homan pleaded guilty to pulling the trigger in November 1985. He’s serving life at the Terrell Unit in Rosharon.

List's death was not the only violent incident in his family's history. His daughter, Deborah Thornton, was killed in a notorious pickax murder committed by Karla Faye Tucker in 1983. Tucker was executed in February 1998.

The story behind the List mansion and this Seabrook site surfaced in April 2014 when a renter demanded out of his lease.

Today, it’s a small gated community subdivided into 13 million-dollar-plus houses. But in the 1980s, this property on Todville Road was where William Gerald “Bill” List built his mansion. And it’s the site of sexual abuse and murder.

One night in October 1984, four young men staying in the mansion shot the 57-year-old businessman with his own gun. List had a record of sexually molesting teenage boys.

Elbert Ervin "Smiley" Homan pleaded guilty to pulling the trigger in November 1985. He’s serving life at the Terrell Unit in Rosharon.

List's death was not the only violent incident in his family's history. His daughter, Deborah Thornton, was killed in a notorious pickax murder committed by Karla Faye Tucker in 1983. Tucker was executed in February 1998.

The story behind the List mansion and this Seabrook site surfaced in April 2014 when a renter demanded out of his lease.